Sandwich grill



Feb. 26, 1952 M. A. HALL 2,587,314

SANDWICH GRILL 'A Filed March 5l, 1949 2 SI-IEETS-SI-IEET l @www Patented Feb. 26, 1952 'Mitchell A. Hall,"Fort Thomas, Ky.,jassignor'jto Bar-BJBuns, Inc., Norwood, Ohio,4 a corpora- .Application March 31, 1949.Seria1.No. 84,630

(Cl. Sli- 342) Claims.

'l ".-.'1,`his invention @relates yto devices for `making v,'Illled,. toasted vsandwiches, ,or the like, and is particularly directed toan improved `mechanism .jor Avoperating the -`heated, cooperating diesj zfor .,devices'- of thischaracter.

f It is an I object of this invention to, provide=z an improved ,operating mechanismgfor .the 'die -members of .a.` sandwich grill thatare adaptedxto ...initially sever y .excess material from the food .product, .and then conne and formthe retained fmaterial .Whilst it is. being heated and toasted ...therebetween Another.. object of; the inventionis. to provide in .'a. dev-ice ofthe` foregoingrcharacter a meansifor .Y disposing a movable diemember jin an inop- -..erati veposition relatively remote Lfrom asta- ...,tio.nary Vdie member sothat4 each may be readily preparedior the heating an'dgtoastingv operations.

..fAlfurtherobject of this `invention is to provide. :ran. improved sandwich grill especially l designed .for. restaurant use which has a novel combina- .tion .and arrangement ofA parts, is; thoroughly re- .liableand Y efficient. j for the purposes Vfor whichA it lisintended, -andcanibe readily'icleaned and quickly,preparedV for use.

' To theforegoing endsgenerally stated, my inventionconsists of the novel devices and comlbination. of 'devicesjhereinafter described, illus- V,tratedin the drawings, -and defined in the. ap-

pended. claims.

... In .the,.accompanying drawings which show a u preferred embodiment of my invention, 'like characters A`indicatelikeparts throughouttheseveral views, wherein:

Fg. lisa side lelevational view --ofgmy sand- ;wich grill in open, inoperative positiongan intermediate 'position' of the movable Ydie member l therefor being illustrated by dotted lines. .Fig."2 is asectiontaken on line"2f-.2 o'fFg- 1 showing the .die Vmembersin closed, `operative position.

Fig. 3 is yan enlarged Asection 'taken "onj line Fig. 4 is asection taken-on lined-4 Aof Fig.'3. Fig. 5 isa sectiontakenon line 5-5 of Fig. 3. .In the drawings the numeral 6: is a' stand comprising affrontisecton 'I andarrear section 8 which k.may be separate Aaluminum `"castings r'disposed in {face to .face jrelationship and joined' .solid standard I relatively wide across its trans- `verse lower.portionsandqtapering upwardly to a narrow upperuend Tportion. The .lowerportionv .of the-standard is integrallyjoined toa hollow, .forwardly extending base 'j having, a front 'wall II, sidewalls I2 and I3 and a top I4;whilst the :rear section, Sillas` a 'standard I5 identical' in transverse outline tothe solid'standard I'D'and v,differing therefrom inthatv it' ,has formed-therein a vertical guideway or slotIthat is preferably square in plan. 'This'slotj isgopen atptheupper end of ,the standard. and opens at'its lower )end ,intogthe interior of 'a hollow baseiportion Ile-of 'the'rear section. -This'hollow base comprises a 10` rearwau lrfamisidewallsk le andi-n au interconnected along; their Aupper ends by a top J"wall 2I. It will be notedthatthe 'slot'orguideway-IE .is 4closed.throughout:its vertical extent f-by i the rearface o'f thejfrontsection-land that the' bolts 9 'for securingv the y'sections togetherI are passed through countersunk holes ini inwardly directed flanges 22 and 23-f'formed on Y'the rear -section and' are, threaded in-tappedfholes formed inlthe front section.

A nstationary Adie member -24 -is Amounted on an Varm 25 which in'turn is'secured bybolts 261=to the'standard I0 :oi'the iront section. 'Y'Ihefdie member may be acasting 21 whichhasfembed'ded thereinv an electric heatingfelement' 28l whichjhas 'its `terminlleads 29 passing through -afbore=30 formed throughj the arm 25. As `most-clearly )illustrated in Fig. `3the1die `member casting is surrounded by-a 'shield V3l 'made' of heat insulating 'materialfuthat is Y provided @with `a smooth exterior 'surface *which is vlreadily cleaned and polishedv Thefshield and the :casting 1 are `screw 32 which-passes-#through Ya Icountersunk "hole A33"formed--centrally in the casting, aand an Valigned hole 134 formed 1 in Athe shield,1;.andis threaded in a bore `v35 formed.' in the.arrn.

' A vcomplementary die member is 'mounted on 4thestandfor movement-to and '.awayfrom thestationary die member for the purpose of forming, shaping Vand vthen vtoasting and heating Va food product held therebetween.v Thercomplevfmentary die member is similarVV in all'respectsto v the member v2t and comprises a castingf31 .with

a heating element"38 embedded therein, ithe uppersurf ace of the castingzbeing' enclosedby a `shield 3.9of heat insulating material The Acasting-fand nshield -are mountedron a fmova'ble arm 4U by meansrof `a "centrally located-:screw which passes through/alignedopenings formednin arm dll. -Thevarm has a-bore -4I formed therein Vthrough which terminal leads 42 yllor' the heating element 38' pass.

the casting and the shield-and `is threadedk inthe As illustrated in Figs. 3 and :4 y.cooperating 'pockets 43'zandf44rofwthefdie: members. and 36 respectively are relatively deep at their center portions and converge outwardly to shallow marginal portions. It will be noted that the peripheries of the die members 24 and 35 overlap when the members are in operative closed positions and that each has formed therein an inclined wall portion 45 and 46 respectively adjacent the overlapped peripheries, and annular ring portions 41 and 48 respectively formed between the wall portions and the marginal portions of the pockets for the members.

When the die members are in opened, inoperative positions two pieces or slices of a baked dough product with a food filler therebetween are placed upon the stationary die with the excess of the slices extending beyond the marginal flangesv of said dies. The movable die member is then moved down upon the food product and -as it moves into operative, closed position the respective flanges are brought into overlapping relationship which severs excess material of the baked dough product, which falls into a pan, or the like, positioned upon the top I4 and beneath the dies. The retained food product is formed during a major part of the movement of the movable die toward the stationary die for it is compressed and squeezed together during said movement until the die members are brought into the closed position illustrated in Fig. 3 where theV outer surfaces of the product are toasted whilst the inner material is heated. During the toasting and heating operation the inclined wall portions 45-45 and the annular ring portions 41-48 formed around the peripheries of the die pocketsl 43-44 compress and heat the peripheral portions of the dough product to form an effective seal for the ller within the sandwich after the finished sandwich is removed from the grill.

Thus, the sandwich between the dies is shaped and formed by the pressure exerted between the movable, female die member 36 and the stationary, male die member 24. As die 35 approaches die 24 from above and in straight line movement with the respective faces of the dies in parallel relationship, the peripheral flange of the female die 3S snugly fits about the rim of male die 24 and exerts a shearing action on the edges of bread overhanging the male die. This trimming of the sandwich to the shape of the die members is accompanied by compression of the margin of the sandwich so that an envelope of bread is formed about the filling material.

The mechanism for actuating the movable die member 36 comprises an articulated, two-part plunger 4S which is slidably mounted for vertical reciprocating movement within the guideway I6. As most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 the upper part of the plunger is a straight bar E) which extends upwardly beyond the standard and is integrally connected to the die carrying arm 40 by a rightangled bend portion 5I. The lower or second plunger part comprises a block 52 slidably positioned within the guideway I6, the adjacent ends of the plunger parts 50 and 52 having. transversely reduced, overlapping ears hingedly joined together by a pintle 53. An offset stop pin 54 passes through a v transverse bore 55 formed through the plunger part 50 adiacent the hinge and has its lateral ends 56 and 51 projecting beyond the plunger (Fig. 4). Clearance slots 58 and 59 are milled in the upper end of the guideway for receiving the ends 55 and 51 respectively of the stop pin 54.

The upper end of the standard I5 has a substantially flat platform 60 disposed at a level below the upper end of the standard I0, the standard I5 preferably having side walls 5l and 62 at its upper end which extend upwardly from the sides of said standard to a position flush with the upper surface of the standard I5. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the rear portions of said walls are curved and merge with the vertical rear surface of the standard I5. An abutment preferably in the form of a rectangular metal stamping 53 provided with a square central hole is secured to the upper end of the standard I by countersunk screws Eil and to the rear surface of the standard i5 by countersunk screws 55.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 the side portions of the stamping 63 extend inwardly beyond the side wallet! and 52 and project into the paths of the extensions 55 and 51 of the stop pin 54 whereby upon upward movement of the hinged plunger toward inoperative position the extensions will engage the abutment and because said stop pin is cifset rearwardly with respect to the longitudinal center of the hinge pintle 53 of the plunger the arm 45 will be tilted backwardly to the position illustrated by full lines in Fig. l. In this position the rear surface of the rst plunger part 55 will rest upon the platform 50 thus precluding further clockwise movement of the arm 4U and the movable die member carried thereby.

The mechanism for reciprocating the plunger comprises a cam arm 65 fixed by a set screw B1 to the rearward end of a hollow operating shaft 55 which in turn is journaled in the front wall Il and in the lower portion of the standard Ill. The front wall has a forwardly extended journal bearing 59 forrnounting the forward end of the shaft and a manually operable lever 'IG is xed to said forward end of the shaft by a key 1I, or the like. A link 'I2 is pivoted at 13 to the cam arm 65 and has its upper end extending through the lower portion of the guideway I5 with its upper extremity pivotally mounted to the lower end of the second plunger ,part 52 by a pivot pin 14. It will be noted that the completely closed position of the dies, as shown in Figure 2, is consummated by turning lever 1l] just beyond a position corresponding to a dead center of the die actuating mechanism, i. e., crank 55 and connecting rod 1.2. This correlation of the closed position of the dies and the beyond dead center position of the crank and connecting rod, both shown in Figure 2, results in latching the dies in closed position, since any tendency for the material between the dies to expand upon heating of the sandwich cannot move the crank and connecting rod mechanism back through its dead center, and therefore the dies do not part.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be noted that the cam 56 is adapted for oscillation through and that its greatest leverage is obtained during the initial and final phases of its rotation in mold feeding and mold returning directions; and that the greatest mold speed, with a proportional reduction of power, is obtained during intermediate rotational movement of the cam when power is not required for the emcient operation ofthe molds.

Different food products to be toasted and heated between the die members require different heating periods and it is contemplated that 'a bank of my grills would'all bein operation at one time preparing sandwiches made of various products. I have therefore positioned a thermostatic limit switch 15 in one of the die members, such as the member 35, which is permapart and extending therefrom in a position adjacent the jointed connection and rearwardly of the vertical center line of said connection, and an elongated, fixed abutment on the stand disposed in the path of the, pin and extending rearwardly therefrom for 'slidably engaging the pin as the rst plunger part leaves the guide to se cure pivotal movement of said plunger part as the parts approach their upper inoperative positions.

8. In a device of the class described a stand, heated, relatively movable die members sustained by the stand, a reversible operating means on the stand for moving lsaid die members toward and away from each '.jother, a shifting element connected to the means, a warning signal for the stand, a switch for the warning signal, a switch actuating member mounted adjacent the element, drive means for uniformly moving the said member in a switch closing direction, and a drive connection between the shifting element and the member for moving the member in a direction counter to its switch closing direction when the said operating means moves the die members apart.

9. In a device of the character described the combination of a stand, a heated, stationary die member sustained by the stand, a plunger mounted for reciprocating movement in the stand, a heated, pressure applying die member carried by the plunger and movable thereby toward and away from the stationary die member, reversible operating means for reciprocating the plunger, an oscillating element connected to said means, a warning signal for the stand, a switch for the signal, a rotatable switch actuating member mounted on the stand coaxially with the element, a synchronous motor for rotating the member in a direction to close the switch, and a setting arm carried by rthe oscillating element for rotating the member a predetermined distance in a direction counter to its driven movement 10 when the said operating means moves the die members apart.

10. In a device of the character described the combination of a stand, a heated, stationary die member sustained by the stand, a `plunger' mounted for reciprocating movement-in the stand, a heated, pressure applying die member carried by the plunger and movable thereby toward and away from the stationary die member, reversible operating means for reciprocating the plunger, an oscillating element connected to said means, a Warning signal for the stand, a switch for the signal, a rotatable switch actuating member mounted on the stand Ycoaxially with thevelement, a synchronous motor for rotating the member in a direction to close the switch, a rotatable setting arm carried by the oscillating element for rotating the member a predetermined distance in a direction counter to its driven movement when the saidfoperating means moves the die members apart, and selective detent means between the arm and the oscillating element.

M'ITCHELI.. A. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

